Interference from the Force
by LittleRobinRedbreast
Summary: AU after the events of ESB. Luke goes back to Dagobah much earlier to get confirmation out of Yoda and Obi-Wan about the identity of his father. The Force intervenes and sends Luke a vision of his father's past and future. After learning of the events on the second Death Star, Luke is determined to save Vader early and without him dying. ON HIATUS.
1. The Beginning

_**A/N: This is a complete and utter AU after the events of **_**Empire Strikes Back**_**. The story starts off three weeks after the confrontation between Vader and Luke on Bespin. Once Luke is healed, and in a slightly better head space, he decides he can't hold off getting confirmation. He goes straight to Dagobah to get answers from Yoda and, hopefully, Obi-Wan Kenobi.**_

_**This is my first fanfic ever, despite the almost four years I've spent on FanFic . net reading other writers' works. I apologize if any of the characters are OOC. **_

_**Hope you enjoy the first chapter!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Any characters and dialogue from the movies do not belong to me. **_

* * *

Luke Skywalker faced Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, an accusing glint in his eyes.

"Is Darth Vader my father?"

There was silence for a moment. Yoda and Obi-Wan exchanged glances. Yoda looked calm and collected, as he usually did. Obi-Wan looked reluctant yet resigned.

"Your father, he is," Yoda confirmed.

Luke rounded on Obi-Wan. "You told me Darth Vader betrayed and murdered my father!"

"Your father was seduced by the Dark side. When he turned, Vader consumed him, and the good man who was Anakin Skywalker ceased to exist." Obi-Wan came closer to Luke, almost pleading with him. "So what I said was true. From a certain point of view."

Luke stared at him incredulously. "'From a certain point of view?' Obi-Wan, all this time I thought I was confronting my father's murderer. Instead, I could have killed my own father!"

"I am sorry, Luke, but we thought it was best you didn't know."

"You mean you thought I couldn't handle it."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Considering you all but threw yourself from that gantry, I would say we were right to keep this from you."

"Well, my only other option was to go with him! I panicked, alright? I wasn't being suicidal."

"Glad, we are," Yoda suddenly interposed, "go with him, you did not."

"Yoda's right, Luke. Going with him would have been a terrible decision. However, your reckless actions almost cost you your life." Luke opened his mouth to protest, but Obi-Wan held up a hand. "I understand your options were limited, and indeed falling was your only other option, but in the future you must be more careful. You may not survive the next confrontation with Vader if you continue to act as you have been."

"What do you mean my next confrontation with Vader? Obi-Wan, I can't kill my own father!"

"Luke, it's the only way."

Luke shuddered and took an involuntary step back. Those were an exact echo of his father's words on Bespin.

"He said that." At Obi-Wan and Yoda's questioning looks, he elaborated. "Vader, my father. He told me that, too. He said joining him was the only way."

Obi-Wan looked startled. "Luke―"

"I won't kill him." Luke gazed intensely at both Jedi masters, lifting his chin in defiance and determination. "And I won't join him in the Dark side either. There is another way. There has to be."

As if on cue, there was a sudden tremor in the Force. The intensity of it caused Yoda to gasp and bring a hand to his head; Obi-Wan's ghostly form flickered; and Luke swayed and fell to the ground on his knees. Luke's vision wavered and everything went black.

* * *

_When he opened his eyes scenes were shifting by him at a rapid pace. _

_He was in a small, cluttered shop. Scraps of metal and mechanics parts surrounded him. There was a counter at the front of the shop, and a small blond haired boy sat on top of it, swinging his legs. The boy appeared to be talking to a beautiful teenage girl. _

"_Are you an angel?" the boy asked, gazing at the girl in awe. _

_The scene seemed to change slightly_―_almost like it was fast forwarding. Luke was still in the shop, watching the boy and girl interact._

"_You're a slave?" the girl asked. _

_The boy straightened, something fierce entering his eyes. "I'm a person and my name is Anakin." _

_Luke gasped, his eyes widening in shock. Anakin? Was this...was this his father? He was a slave? He couldn't reconcile this small, innocent looking boy with the menacing black machine he had become. _

_ X_

_Images flashed by again. _

_He saw an older man with long graying hair and a beard, who introduced himself as Qui-gon Jinn. There was a lightsaber attached to his belt, so Luke assumed he was a Jedi. He bartered for his father's freedom. _

_Luke saw his father win a podrace. _

_He saw his father standing in front of a kind, weather beaten woman. _

"_Will I ever see you again?" his father asked, sounding incredibly small and scared. _

"_What does your heart tell you?" she asked, gripping his shoulders gently. _

"_I hope so. Yes. I guess."_

"_Then we will see each other again." The woman, Luke suspected she was his father's mother, smiled sadly. Something about the smile caused a sadness and foreboding to wash over Luke. _

"_I will come back and free you, Mom," the young Anakin said solemnly. "I promise."_

_ X_

_Luke found himself in a ship. On the ground in front of him, Qui-gon Jinn panted. A younger man and Anakin knelt next to him. Luke realized, with a jolt, the man was a much younger Obi-Wan._

"_Anakin Skywalker," Qui-gon said, "meet Obi-Wan Kenobi." _

_Anakin and Obi-Wan smiled at each other. _

_"Pleased to meet you," his father said._

_ X_

_Luke was suddenly standing in a circular room with people sitting in chairs. He recognized Yoda in one of them. Anakin was standing in the middle of them all. _

"_Fear is the path to the Dark side," Yoda was saying. "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."_

_ X_

_He was in some kind of reactor room. Obi-Wan was cradling Qui-gon Jinn._

"_Obi-Wan," the older man rasped. "Promise me you will train the boy."_

"_Yes, Master," Obi-Wan choked, emotion clouding his voice. _

_Qui-gon weakly stroked Obi-Wan's cheek once. "He...is the Chosen one. He...will bring balance. Train him."_

_ X_

_Images, once again, blended together. Luke wondered what he would see next. _

* * *

_**A/N: It's not much, but I'm hoping it's enough to get a few people interested. I plan to post the next chapter in a few days. Feel free to review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome. I had trouble figuring out what to include from **_**The Phantom Menace_ and how to break scenes up._**

**_See you next time!  
-LRR_**


	2. Hints of Darkness

**_A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, favs, and follows! I never expected to get this much of a response._**

**_I'll be posting this chapter as well as chapter 3 today. _**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

_The scenes fast-forwarded once more. _

_Luke saw Chancellor Palpatine become closer to his father. Luke could tell he was manipulating the young Anakin. He had a horrible feeling about this._

_He saw Anakin and Padme meet again after ten years. _

_He saw Obi-Wan and Anakin moving through a crowded looking bar_

"_Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?" Obi-Wan complained to Anakin. _

"_Don't say that, Master. You're the closest thing I have to a father." _

_Luke felt a sharp pang of sadness when he realized Anakin _had _been the death of his master. What had happened to his father?_

_ X_

_He saw his father come back to Tatooine and find his way to the Lars farm, much to Luke's shock. _

_He saw Anakin traverse the desert in a desperate attempt to find his mother, who had been abducted by the Tusken Raiders. _

_He saw him in a dimly lit hut, carefully lowering Luke's beaten grandmother into his arms. _

"_Mom...Mom...Mom…" he murmurs to her, brokenly, trying to get her to wake up. Her eyes flutter open weakly. _

"_Ani? Is that you?" _

"_I'm here, Mom. You're safe. Hang on. I'm going to get you out of here…" _

"_I'm so glad...to see you, Ani...Now...I am complete…" _

"_Stay with me, Mom." _

"_You look so handsome. My son…my grown-up son. I'm so proud of you, Ani…so proud…I missed you so much…I love…"_

_Luke felt tears well in his eyes as he watched his grandmother die in his father's arms. _

_Luke saw his father gently lower Shmi Skywalker to the ground. Then he stood up and exited the hut. He drew his lightsaber. Luke shuddered at the dark look in Anakin's eyes. _

_He cried out as he saw his father slaughter the entire village of Sand People. _

_Luke saw his father fall in front of his grandmother's grave. _

_ X_

_He saw a mighty battle in an arena, with soldiers who looked suspiciously like stormtroopers showing up to help at the last minute. _

_He learned that they were called clones, and that Palpatine was behind the start of the Clone Wars. _

_He saw his father duel the Sith Lord, Count Dooku. He saw his father lose half his arm, and Luke glanced at his own prosthetic. _

_Luke saw Anakin and Padme get married. He finally knew the identity of his mother. _


	3. The Fall

**_Here's chapter 3..._**

* * *

_More scenes shifted passed his eyes. _

_He saw the mission to "rescue" Chancellor Palpatine. _

_He saw Palpatine's manipulations and watched his father execute Dooku. _

_He saw his mother and father meeting in the shadows. _

"_Ani, I'm pregnant." _

"_Th-That's wo-That's wonderful!" _

"_This is the happiest moment of my life!" _

_He saw his father's premonitions of his mother's death. _

_He saw Palpatine use this to his advantage, twisting his father further around his finger. Luke had never hated someone more than he hated Palpatine._

_X_

_He saw Anakin learn that Palpatine was the Sith Lord. _

_He saw him struggle with himself in the council room, and fail. _

_He saw him in the Chancellor's office, debating what course of action he should take while Palpatine begged for his help and offered promises. _

"_Don't listen to him, Anakin! _He _is the traitor!" _

"_I have the power to save the one you love!"_

"_Stop! I need him!" _

_He saw his father slice Mace Windu's hand off and Palpatine win. _

"No! Father!" _Luke cried. _

"_What have I done?"_

"_You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin." _

"_Henceforth, you shall be known as...Darth Vader."_

_Luke's heart wailed in agony. _

_ X_

_He saw Palpatine execute Order 66. _

_He saw his father march on the Jedi temple. _

_He saw him enter the council room where the younglings were hiding. _

_One youngling came out, hope and fear written on his face. _

"_Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?"_

_Luke moaned and fell to his knees when his father responded by igniting his lightsaber. He felt nausea wash over him and tears streamed down his face._

_ X_

_He saw his father slaughter the leaders of the Separatist army on Mustafar._

_He saw his mother evade Obi-Wan's questioning about where Anakin was. _

_He saw her race to Anakin's side, unaware that Obi-Wan was stowing away on her ship. _

_He saw his mother's heartbreak as she realized Anakin was losing himself. _

"_Anakin, you're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I can't follow!" _

_He watched his father as he seemingly lost what was left of his sanity_―_as he became more and more hostile to his mother._

"_Stop! Stop now! Come back! I love you!" his mother pleaded. _

_Luke watched with a heavy heart as Obi-Wan chose that moment to appear at the top of the landing ramp. _

_Anakin saw him and became enraged._

"_LIAR!" he screamed and whirled on Padme, holding a curled hand up._

_Padme choked and looked at her husband with fear in her eyes. _

_Luke didn't think he could take much more of this. He was sobbing, practically hyperventilating, unable to stand as he watched this tragedy unfold. _"Mother!"

"_Let her go, Anakin!" Obi-Wan demanded. _

_Anakin released Luke's mother and she crumpled to the ground. Luke rushed to her side and was relieved to find her merely unconscious. Though, there wouldn't be anything he could do about it if she was in dire health. _

_He watched as Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged more words and then began to duel. _

_He ran after them, wishing he could stop them, but all he could do was watch as they tore into each other_―_each one aiming to kill._

_Finally, Luke sensed the battle winding to an end. Obi-Wan jumped onto an embankment and Anakin stared across at him._

"_It's over, Anakin!" Obi-Wan called. "I have the high ground."_

"_You underestimate my power!"_

"_Don't try it," Obi-Wan warned. _

"No!" _Luke yelled as his father ignored his former master and flipped across the expanse. _

_Obi-Wan swiftly cut off his father's remaining organic limbs. Luke screamed in unison with his father. _

"_You were the Chosen One!" Obi-Wan had tears in his eyes. He looked broken. "It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"_

_His father looked up, and Luke felt sick when he saw the yellow, red rimmed eyes replacing the normal blue. "I HATE YOU!" he screamed, completely deranged. _

_Obi-Wan choked on a sob. "You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!" _

_Just when Luke thought it couldn't get any worse, his father started screaming in agony. He looked over his father, and to his horror, he saw flames crawling up his father from the heat of the lava. He was too close to the molten river. Anakin's entire body caught fire. _

"FATHER!" _Luke screamed, absolutely hysterical at this point. _"BEN, HELP HIM! HELP HIM, PLEASE!"

_Obi-Wan gazed at Anakin in grief one last time and walked away, leaving his former padawan to burn on the banks of Mustafar._

_The combination of burnt flesh and his father's shrieks of pain were too much for Luke. He doubled over, retching and hyperventilating._

_X_

_He saw Obi-Wan bring his mother to a medical facility. _

_He saw Palpatine collect his father and take him to a medical facility as well._

_He saw the agony both his parents were going through_―_his mother in childbirth and his father with Palpatine's medical 'care.'_

_Another shock jolted Luke_―_though this one was certainly more pleasant than anything he'd received previously._

"_She's carrying twins."_

_He had a twin?_

_He saw his mother name him and his twin._

"_Luke," she said, tenderly rubbing his infant self's head._

_Then the second baby came, and Luke couldn't believe his ears when his mother breathed the baby girl's name._

"_Leia."_

_Leia. Leia was his sister. He felt a thrill of awe and happiness. This was welcome news after everything he had learned. _

_His happiness was short lived when he saw his mother dying. _

_Obi-Wan knelt next to her bed, babies in his arms. "Obi-Wan…" she whispered. "There...is still good in him. I know there is...still…" And Padme Amidala breathed her last breath. _

_Tears ran down Luke's face once again. His mother had died still believing there was good in his father. _

_ X_

_He was standing in his father's medical room, which was much darker and colder than his mother's._

_He saw the mask lowered over his face._

_He saw the table he was on tilt upward. _

"_Lord Vader, can you hear me?" _

"_Yes, Master." Luke cringed to hear his father call that monster master. "Where is Padme? Is she alright? Is she safe?" _

_Luke choked on a sob._

"_It seems," Palpatine began, and Luke did not like the look in his eyes, "in your anger, you killed her." _

_Luke's blood froze and he couldn't stop himself from bellowing in rage, _"LIAR!"

_Yes, his father had harmed his mother. He'd strangled her to unconsciousness while she was heavily pregnant. It was inexcusable and absolutely horrible. But his father had not killed his mother. Not directly at least. The doctors had said there was nothing medically wrong with her. Besides, he and Leia wouldn't have survived if Anakin had murdered his wife on Mustafar. _

"_I? I couldn't have. I felt her. She was alive!" The emotional agony in his father's voice was clear, even through the vocoder of his new mask. _

_The room began to shake, trembling in Vader's rage and grief and horror. Vader forced his restraints off and stepped away from the table, stumbling on his new prosthetics. _

"_Noooooooo!" he screamed. The sound was terrible and the room shook even more in response to his father's heartbreak._

_All the while Palpatine smirked in triumph in the background, and Luke found himself shaking in rage. If he could, he would tear that man apart with his bear hands. _

_ X_

_Luke saw Obi-Wan and Yoda decide his and Leia's fates. Leia went with the Organas and Obi-Wan took Luke to live with his aunt and uncle on Tatooine. Obi-Wan would spend the next 19 years looking out for Luke. Meanwhile, Yoda went into exile on Dagobah._


	4. The Future

_Luke felt a tugging sensation and he was standing in a open tunnel that was high above the ground, waiting next to Darth Vader. It was evening, wherever he was, and there were trees everywhere. _

_An AT-AT approached, and Luke saw himself_ _being escorted by stormtroopers out of the Imperial Walker. He looked older than he was now, and his older self was dressed in all black. Vader went to meet them._

_This was the future, Luke realized. He had seen the past and now he was seeing what was to transpire. _

_The troopers handed him and his lightsaber off to Vader and were summarily dismissed. _

"_The Emperor is expecting you," Vader said. _

"_I know, Father," his older self replied. _

_Vader glanced at him. "So, you have accepted the truth."_

"_I have accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father." _

_Vader rounded on him, pointing Luke's unlit lightsaber toward him. "That name no longer has any meaning for me." _

"_It is the name of your true self. You've only forgotten," his older self insisted. "I _know _there is good in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully. That was why you couldn't destroy me." He turned his back on Vader and walked to the railing, resting his cuffed forearms against it. "That's why you won't bring me to your Emperor now." _

_There was silence for a moment and Vader looked down at Luke's lightsaber. He ignited the blade and green light burst from within it. "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber." He examined the hilt. "You skills are complete." Vader turned away from Luke. Now Vader and his older self had their backs turned to one another. "Indeed, you are powerful. As the Emperor has foreseen." _

"_Come with me." _

_The quiet, earnestness in his older self's voice startled Luke. There was a pause. _

"_Obi-Wan once thought as you do," Vader said. "You don't know the power of the Dark Side. I _must _obey my master." _

_The present Luke snorted in disgust at his father referring to the Emperor as his master. That abhorrent son of a Hutt didn't deserve to be called anyone's master._

"_I will not turn," Older Luke stressed, "and you will be forced to kill me." _

"_If that is your destiny." _

_Present Luke could feel disappointment wash over him. His father was really okay with killing him? _

_His older self became even more adamant. "Search your feelings, Father. You can't do this. I feel the conflict in you. Let go of your hate!" _

"_It is too late for me, Son." _

_He swore he could hear regret in his father's voice. He could tell his older self was disappointed now, too, but he hid it well._

"_Then my father is truly dead." _

_Stormtroopers came and escorted his older self into a shuttle, leaving Vader alone with his thoughts. He saw his father at the railing, looking out at the forest below. If Luke didn't know any better, he would say Vader _was _feeling conflict. _

_ X_

_Luke was in a throne room now. It was dark and a large viewport was against the far wall, looking out into space. A throne was in front of the viewport, and in the throne sat the Emperor himself. _

_The Emperor taunted his older self, trying to coax him into joining him_―_into turning to the Dark Side. Finally, it became too much for his older self and he summoned his lightsaber, moving to strike the Emperor down where he sat. Vader's blood red blade caught his own emerald one._

_They fought around the throne room, Palpatine cackling in the background, and Vader himself trying to persuade Luke into turning. _

"_Your thoughts betray you, Father. I feel the good in you, the conflict."_

"_There is no conflict." _

_They continued the duel until his older self managed to hide in shadows. Vader went in after him, attempting to locate him. His older self was confident, until Vader learned the truth about Leia and threatened to turn her to the Dark Side. _

_Present Luke felt all the blood drain from his face. Not Leia. _

_Apparently his older self had the same thought. A millisecond later he emerged from the shadows with a bellowing a war cry, his saber drawn. He attacked Vader with a fury that honestly startled Present Luke, and he sensed that Father was a little taken aback as well. _

_Older Luke was relentless, swinging his lightsaber with all his strength, bashing it against Vader's. Finally, Older Luke cornered him and sliced off his hand. He stood there, rage in his eyes, breathing heavily with his lightsaber pointed at Vader's chest. Vader had his arms up, almost as if he was trying to defend himself or plead. _

_The Emperor's dark chuckle broke into the tense moment. "Good. Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side." _

_His older self seemed to come to his senses, horrified at what he was doing. He glanced at his own prosthetic hand and then his father's severed one. He took a breath and deactivated his lightsaber, turning to face the Emperor._

"_Never," he said with conviction. His older self threw his saber away from him. "I'll never turn to the Dark Side. You've failed, your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me." _

_The Emperor's cold, yellow eyes bored into him. Present Luke could feel the fury radiating off of him. "So be it, _Jedi_," he hissed. "If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed." _

_Before either Lukes could even blink, Palpatine flicked his hands up and blue, flickering lightning erupted from his fingertips. The lightning hit its target straight on. Luke saw himself writhing on the floor, screaming in pain. _

"_Young fool," the Emperor taunted. "Only now, at the end, do you understand. Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark Side." Present Luke saw his father slowly rise to his feet, his breathing wheezy and labored, and walk to Palpatine's side. "You have paid the price for your lack of vision."_

_Vader merely stood there, watching as the Emperor slowly killed his older self. _

"Father, please," _Present Luke cried. His own father couldn't let him die! _

_A second later, his older self parroted his younger self, pleading with Vader to help him. "Father, please!" _

_Their father looked between his older self and the Emperor, seemingly at a loss for what to do. Present Luke sensed a fierce internal struggle. _

"Come on, Father," _he whispered, hoping for him to do the right thing. _

"_Now, young Skywalker," Palpatine said. "You will die." _

_His older self's struggles were getting weaker, his breathing choked and ragged, his screams tapering off. Suddenly, Vader lunged forward and lifted the Emperor over his head in one swift movement. Palpatine yelled in surprise and kept blasting force lightening. Vader staggered to the reactor shaft and threw him over the side. He fell to his knees, leaning against the side and watching the Emperor fall to his death. There was a flash of blinding blue light and it was all over. _

_His father leaned heavily against the side of the reactor shaft, his breathing even worse than before. It was obvious his respirator was damaged. It was likely the life support system in his suit was failing. _

_His older self crawled over to Vader and gently lowered him into his arms. Present Luke was strongly reminded of a young Anakin Skywalker doing the same for his mother. _

_ X_

_Luke found himself walking beside Older Luke and Vader. Older Luke was doing his best to hold Vader up as they stumbled to a shuttle. However, just before they got there, one of them lost their footing and they both went down. Exhausted, but determined, his older self dragged Vader the rest of the way and leaned him against the boarding ramp. _

"_Luke, help me take...this mask off," Vader rasped. _

"No!"_ Present Luke shouted._

"_But you'll die," Older Luke protested. _

"_Nothing...can stop that now," Vader argued. "Just for once, let me...look on you with my own eyes." _

_Present Luke felt tears slip down his face. Just when he thought all the heartbreak was over, this happens. _

_Older Luke looked hesitant, but he nodded in agreement. He carefully lifted the helmet and then detached the mask from their father's face. _

_Even though Present Luke already knew what he would see, he still couldn't help the sharp intake of breath when he saw Anakin Skywalker's face. He could feel his heart shattering all over again. _

_Vader, now once again Anakin, smiled at his older self. "Now...go, my son. Leave me…" _

_Older Luke shook his head in denial. "No, you're coming with me. I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you!" _

"_You already...have, Luke. You were right," Anakin whispered. "You were right about me. Tell your sister, you were right…" He smiled once more and his eyes closed. _

"_Father," his older self pleaded. Father's face slackened and he began to fall slowly back. "I won't leave you!"_

_It was too late. Anakin Skywalker was gone. _

_Present Luke shuddered as quiet sobs racked his body. Older Luke brushed a hand across Father's chest. A tear ran down Older Luke's face as he bowed his head, and Present Luke could see his shoulders start to shake. _

_Just when Luke thought everything was over, he opened his eyes to find himself in a clearing. It was night and there was a funeral pyre. Anakin Skywalker, formerly Darth Vader, rested upon it. His older self stepped forward with a torch and lit the pyre on fire. Older Luke was the only one in the clearing. Present Luke and his older self watched the flames grow high and mourned the passing of their father._

* * *

**_A/N: Once again, I appreciate all the reviews, favorites, and followers. They really make my day. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. _**

**_I_****_'m still in the middle of writing chapter 5, so I won't be updating for a little while. I anticipate being able to post a new chapter within a week or two. If the wait ends up being longer, just know I do intend to finish this story, and I'm not intentionally leaving you hanging. Real Life tends to throw curve balls (not to mention writer's block ugh :P), and I apologize in advance if it takes me a while to update. _**

**_Thank you for the support, and feel free to review! :)  
_**

**_Best wishes,  
LRR_**


End file.
